Dutch fruit and veg exports to UK dip in first half of 2013, but onions increase

30 August 2013,

Dutch fruit and vegetable exports to the UK dipped by 5 per cent in the first half of 2013, to 129,000 tonnes, or 14 per cent of total exports, latest figures reveal.

Marc Veltenaar of Dutch salad grower association Quality Queen Sales
said cucumber sales to the UK were in decline.

"Right now, they (Britain) prefer their own product," he said.

"They only buy abroad if they experience shortages, which is
rarely."

Russia remains a volatile market, with Dutch exports slumping 35 per
cent in the same period.

But onions, which are recorded separately, bucked the trend with a 19
per cent rise in exports to the UK to 60,000 tonnes. This accounts for
nearly 13 per cent of exports, which grew 20 per cent overall in the
period.

Diffused light can increase the production of tomatoes by up to 10%, even when this brings a drop in the overall light transmission into the glasshouse, according to a report by Wageningen University & Research (WUR).